


Fading

by igrewupwiththis



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alien!Josh, Fluff, M/M, Supernatural - Freeform, Tyler is a skeleton, forest, he lives in a smol cabin, joshler - Freeform, lots of, not the show but they live in a supernatural environment, skeleton boy, skeleton!tyler, tyler is the soulless embodiment of my depression this is a coping fic thx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 18:40:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrewupwiththis/pseuds/igrewupwiththis
Summary: Josh roams the woods and finds a strange boy, who doesn't remember his own name. See for yourself what happens next...





	Fading

**Author's Note:**

  * For [my mama](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=my+mama).



He hadn't noticed the person standing behind him until the safety of the gun clicked and it pointed right between his eyebrows.  
"Not an inch further."  
He had spent the day collecting wood for fire in the forest, piling it up on the small cart he had taken with him, but apparently he had been loud. And uncareful.  
And now he was staring down the barrel of a gun, held by a... what was the being even? Please don't be a lycanthrope, he thought. It was almost full moon.  
"Where is your clan, Skeleton Boy?"  
The person -thing- had shimmery hair, it was hard to put your finger on the colour, but red was the closest thing. It was shaved at the sides and sparkled in the evening sun that came through the roof of leaves. It looked like a halo. His scleras were black and eyes had a dark red shade, as well as markings on the thin skin under them. The rest of his face was covered.  
"I don't have one," skeleton boy said calmly.  
Red boy furrowed his black brows. He shoved the gun against the smaller man's forehead. "Don't fuck with me, I know they're here."  
"They're not," Skeleton Boy said.  
Visibly confused by the lack of fear in the opposite man's eyes, Red Boy announced, "I will kill you, Skeleton Boy."  
"Do it. I have nothing to live for," the pale guy spat, and he meant it.  
Red Boy was so taken aback by this statement that he loosened his grip on the gun.  
"What's your name?"  
Wait... what was his name? Skeleton Boy didn't remember ever being associated with one.  
"I don't have one."  
Red Boy seemed to take it as a joke and smiled unsurely. "So you really are alone, huh," he asked. He lowered the gun, hovering over Skeleton Boy's heart, abdomen, and put it away entirely.  
"I am."  
"I've never seen you around this part of the forest," the taller guy said, tugging at his bandana that was covering mouth and nose, slipping it down to his chin. It set something off in Skeleton Boy. He also noticed that his skin had a green undertone. "I'm Josh."  
He didn't know what to do with Josh's extended hand, so he just took it, returning the pressure.  
"What about your clan?"  
"I abandoned them a while ago," Josh elaborated. "Been roaming the woods for food and such ever since. Been sleeping on the trees," he laughed and pointed at the heavy backpack he was carrying.  
Skeleton Boy frowned. "I uh... My cabin is just a couple minutes away from here," he said. "You can come with me."  
Josh looked at him weirdly. "You'd just let a stranger in your house?"  
The other one shrugged. "Sure. It's convenient and practical, I'd have help around the house and you would have a roof above your head."  
"You could kill me."  
"But I don't have a reason to. So I won't."  
That convinced Josh enough to stay.

"Let me help you with these," Josh said as the two of them went back to the cabin. Skeleton Boy was carrying the load of branches he had collected earlier.  
The redhead reached out for the wood but as their skin came in contact with each other, he flinched and pulled back. His face was pulled into a silent "Oh!".  
"Is there something wrong?"  
Josh kept still for a moment, then shook his head, and proceeded to grab the branches. "No, everything's fine."  
Together they walked over a small creek to a tiny house. It wasn't locked, Josh noticed, his companion just walked into the house, heading straight for the mirror.  
He looked at himself intensely, checking out the translucency of his skin. You could vaguely see the shape of a nose and eyebrows, but it had become so transparent that you couldn't completely recognize a face. Just a skull.  
"So this is where you live?" Josh asked unnecessarily. The house was neat, tidy and clean. The ground floor was one room, it seemed. On the right was a small kitchen and a kitchen island which served as a table, with a few high chairs. There was also a tiny sofa right next to a door - probably the bathroom. On the left there were wooden stairs leading up, and below it was a tiny fireplace.  
"Yup. Right next to you is a clothing hanger for your jacket. You can go upstairs and leave your things there, the right bed is mine. Oh, and the bathroom is right here, so you can get a shower as well, if you want," the host elaborated, pointing at the door Josh had assumed was the bathroom.  
He nodded, hung his jacket on the wall and walked upstairs, seeing a room as big as downstairs, but since there were only two beds and some shelves, it looked much bigger. There was also a balcony, where currently some laundry was drying. Adorable, Josh thought.  
He walked to the bed on the left and sat down on it. Damn, that was comfortable. He didn’t have this much comfort in a while. With his feet he touched something under the bed. He peeked down and found convenient storage boxes. He didn't have many possessions, but those he did have he neatly stored in the boxes, closed them and pushed them under the bed again. Now that he had discarded his big jacket and backpack, he noticed how much in need of a shower he was. He took a towel he had spotted on a shelf, he was sure the skeleton boy wouldn't mind, and made his way to the bathroom. It was tiny, but tidy as well and a clean elevated shower was placed in the corner, with actual glass doors. After quickly but thoroughly cleaning himself he slipped into the most clean clothes he had and took the towel with him upstairs, hanging it on the railing of the balcony.  
He closed the glass door not entirely, turning to his bed and sat on it again.  
He brushed his hand over the bedsheets and sunk back into the mattress. Just a little and then.. he'd... get.....  
Josh woke up. Shit, had he fallen asleep? He opened his eyes to a dim room. He heard something cooking and smelled it as well. He stirred, noticing the blanket had been placed over him. The room was cool from the outside weather, blowing cool air into the room. Weird, he thought.  
He sat up, stretching his limbs in all directions, feeling better than he had in a long time. He tapped down the wooden stairs, seeing the skeleton boy at the kitchen counter, stirring something in a pot, two bowls next to him. Apparently, he had heard Josh, without turning around he says, "Good you're awake, dinner is just about to be ready."  
Josh was still sleepy so he didn't immediately know what to answer. He stepped down to the bottom of the stairs, then he gathered his words. "Wow, thanks." Good job, Josh. Really eloquent.  
He sat down on one of the high stools and a hot bowl of soup was placed in front of him, as well as a bunch of spices, salt and pepper.  
"I'm aware that the food I cook doesn't really taste like anything, so go all in with the spices," Skeleton Boy explained. "I can't taste, anyway, so I don't mind."  
"Wait, you can't taste?" Josh asked unnecessarily. The translucent guy nodded, sitting down in front of him. "So like... what does stuff taste like then?"  
"Nothing. And everything. Because everything tastes the same."  
"Hmm," Josh nodded. He took the spoon and tried a little of the soup. It didn't taste horrible, but it definitely needed more of... everything. Spicing up his meal he asked again. "So what was your name again?"  
"I told you, I don't have one."  
"But you have to have a name! You really think you don't have one? Or maybe you forgot it? Oh, can you pass me the paprika?"  
Tyler reached for the spice and furrowed his forehead. "I think I don't-" he started but abruptly stopped as their fingers touched as he handed over the spice.  
"You what?" Josh asked, unfazed, seasoning his food.  
Skeleton Boy looked around, astounded by the sudden flash he had seen, but apparently he was the only one. "Never mind," he said. "It's not a coherent thought, so I can't speak it out."  
"Please, I wanna know," Josh said. "Just say it, even if it makes no sense."  
"Uh, okay," Skeleton Boy tried. "It's a.. letter. Two, actually. J and T. No, T and J. Yeah. I think they have something to do with my name."  
"TJ it is then. Can I call you that? TJ?"  
Skeleton Boy was still very confused, but shrugged. "Yeah, sure." He didn't know why it felt so weird to hear that new name, but after all, he hadn’t felt anything in years. "Can I ask what species you are?"  
Josh cringed but smiled. "All species have something in common - they hate mine."  
"I don't hate any species. Though, if you were a werewolf that would be highly inconvenient."  
Josh had to laugh at that. "You're funny. I'm an Extra Terrestrial. Third gen."  
"Oh. So you were never in space?" Skeleton Boy - TJ - asked.  
"I was, actually. My parents wanted to go back a couple years ago. We already had stopped at a few planets, but then something went wrong while we were at a planet quite a few light years away, and had to go back. I don’t know what happened though.” Josh went quiet and ate a little more of his soup, which now tasted pretty good. “What species are you?”  
TJ shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know any other creatures like me, but my first guess would be human.”  
“But that’s not what humans look like, do they?”  
“I mean, under all of the flesh and skin they do.”  
“I guess…”  
They kept eating in silence, but Josh wanted to ask more questions, and TJ noticed, but both remained quiet. They agreed that Josh would tidy up the kitchen after TJ had cooked. It was already dark out, and the two men basically were done for the day.  
TJ had started a fire in the fireplace, explaining there was no heating except this one. After they had tidied up and fixed the fire, they kind of awkwardly sat down in front of it on the kind of too small couch which was either a couch for two children or a really wide armchair for one. Either way, they somehow managed to sit down comfortably, thighs touching, and since Josh’s shoulders were so broad, he had his arm on the backrest behind his new friend.  
“So,” he started, watching the flames dance, “what do you know about yourself?”  
TJ shifted a little, thinking. “That I wasn’t always like this. I know that I can’t see colours saturatedly because somewhere in my mind I know, that the trees and fire and the sky usually don’t look so dim. I know that my smell and taste used to be better. But because of that, my hearing has improved. I also know that I don’t mind seeing the world this dully. I don’t feel emotions, I think, but I don’t know if I ever did. I know that my name has something to do with the letters T and J, and I know that I found that out after I touched your hand today when I handed you the paprika.”  
“You felt something, too?” Josh asked, remembering the short occurence in the forest. “I saw something when you handed me the firewood today.”  
“That’s weird,” TJ said. “Magic, maybe?”  
“Unlikely,” Josh said. “Unless you’re a witch? Could be, since you don’t know what you are.”  
TJ just hummed. Together they just stared at the fire until their eyes got tired, and that’s when they agreed to go to bed. Saying goodnight they snuggled up, hit the light switch and fell asleep.

Over the next days the two learned how to live together and it was easier than expected. Josh taught TJ how to hunt, and they discovered that the smaller man was naturally talented in building traps. In the evening they’d sit down in front of the fire and go over the things TJ knew about himself. They had unconsciously avoided skin contact, but one day, about three days after they met, TJ cut himself on a piece of metal they had used for a trap.  
“Ouch!” He exclaimed, holding his hand. It was a pretty deep gash, as he hadn’t been paying attention to what he was doing.  
“Is everything okay?” Josh called and jogged over with a caught dead squirrel tied to his belt. “Damn, this looks bad.”  
“I think it’s just a shallow cut,” TJ tried to calm his companion, ignoring the blood dripping down his translucent skin. It would be inconvenient if Josh would panic now. “It’s gonna stop bleeding soon.”  
“Let’s get you home anyway, buddy,” Josh said, helping TJ to his feet. He took his friend’s hand into his to inspect it, but there he felt it again, the flash. He stared at TJ who apparently felt nothing. The memory already faded, but Josh clinged to at least one element; a weird, foreign, but not bad taste. It tasted like salad, but also meat, which was well seasoned. Then it faded. He concentrated on the current situation.  
When they got home Josh helped his friend clean up the cut, dried the skin and wrapped around a small fabric around it. In fact, it was the bandana he had worn when they first met. He didn’t mind if it got bloody. “You can rest now, I’m gonna make dinner today.”  
“Thanks, Josh,” TJ answered genuinely, startling Josh. He had never thanked him.  
“No problem,” Josh smiled, and got to work. He prepared the squirrel and after he had cleaned the kitchen, leaving the pot with the meat to cook, he went to check up on TJ’s wound. The bandana was soaked in blood, so he went to clean it up and exchange it for an actual gauze. He sat down in front of TJ, who was on the couch, on the floor, carefully tying it around TJ’s slender hand. He looked up, smiling. “There, all properly patched up. Maybe we’ll renew it tomorrow, depending on how it feels. Can I ask you a favour?”  
Taken aback TJ stared at him. “Uh, I guess?”  
“Can I see you smile?” He waited patiently, still holding his friend’s hands,  
“Smile?” He didn’t say it as if he didn’t know what a smile was, more like he was ridiculing Josh. “I don’t have anything to smile for, though.”  
“That’s no problem,” Josh said his hands sneaking up TJ’s arms, poking him in the sides.  
And like a wonder, the pale lips pulled into a grin as he weakly tried to fend off Josh’s pokes. “Stop,” he grinned, trying his best not to laugh out loud. But then a snort escaped him and now Josh had to laugh, and TJ joined him with a small chuckle.  
As they looked at each other again, Josh gasped. “Quick, look in the mirror! I can see your eye colour!”  
TJ jumped at that, running to the mirror in the bathroom, staring at himself in the eyes. “You’re right,” he breathed. It was barely there, but he could distinguish his dark irises from his eye sockets.  
Josh walked up behind him, looking over TJ's shoulder at him in the mirror. “It’s a lovely brown, if you ask me.”  
“I have brown eyes,” TJ said, not believing his own words. He looked at Josh in the mirror, then turned around to him. “Do you think it has something to do with you touching me?”  
“I think it has something to do with you laughing for the first time, Ty,” Josh smiled, happy for his friend’s success.  
“What did you just call me?” TJ asked, not angrily, but curiously.  
“TJ? I did say TJ, didn’t I?”  
The now brown eyed man shook his head. “You said ‘Ty’. I think that’s a part of my name. How did you know that?”  
Josh was as clueless as TJ, so he shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know. I just do.”

After that progress was slow, but it was definitely there. Four days after that, TJ closed the balcony door because he felt cold. A week after that, he complimented Josh’s food, saying it was well done. Josh smiled, but said nothing. They had started fishing together in the creek, but didn’t have luck yet.

One morning, as he were out, TJ tried his luck again with the fishing. He held as still as possible, breathing silently, careful not to make any sound. He somehow had the feeling he had to prove to Josh that he was good at something, too. He slowly took a breath, deeper and deeper, and then -  
“Ha!” He exclaimed, holding his fish up. “Look, Josh!”  
Josh was just on the balcony hanging the laundry out to dry. He turned his eyes from a T-shirt and looked at TJ in fear something happened. But when he saw the guy grin at him with a fish in his hands, he smiled back, glad at his friend’s expression. “Good job, Ty!”  
TJ smiled even wider at his friend’s praise. That day TJ caught three fish, and they decided to conserve the third one in salt for another time.

Josh started noticing that TJ’s facial contours started to show more; and he had a lovely face, he thought. A thin, slope-like nose, with a cute pointy tip, nicely shaped lips and even crinkly eyes. Josh also noticed, that TJ checked himself less in the mirror. When they came back from outside he didn’t run to the mirror, and when he passed it he spent less time looking at it.  
One day, they had decided they deserved a day off. They had already packed food in their backpacks, and Josh said he’d take TJ to a clearing where there were no trees only a big patch of grass, and there they’d stay the night. They decided that after TJ had told Josh he avoided going out at night, thus having never seen the stars, or the milky way.  
They packed up all their things and after Josh had taken his camping things with him for the first time after he had arrived at TJ’s house.  
Together they left the house, going back over the creek, Josh leading the way. It didn’t take long, maybe an hour, but they took their time. The way also wasn’t very even, sometimes they’d have to get through dense bushes, or climb over big fallen trees. At one point they were standing on a rocky ledge, and the way continued a few feet below them. Josh climbed down with ease, then instructed TJ to sit down and then jump. Josh held his hand, and as TJ landed, he tripped forward, but his friend caught him. “Gotcha,” he smiled. They kept walking, but didn’t let go of the other’s hand.  
When they arrived the last clouds of the day had moved away, giving the sun way to brighten and warm up the scenery. The sun rays hit their skin and both closed their eyes for a short moment, taking in the tickling.  
“So, this is it,” Josh said. “How do you like it?”  
TJ looked around, amazed, but still wary. “It’s so different to what I’m used to. There are no trees to cover us.”  
“There are no creatures around this area of the forest, trust me,” Josh said. “C’mon, let’s set up our stuff.”  
The day progressed and the night came near, and they had already a fire going and all their things set up orderly. They had a tent-ish construction, but less closed, it was more for lying in it while sticking your head out at the end. Perfect for stargazing. They were eating over the fire, and Josh instructed TJ to look at the dusky sky. The colours were amazing, beautifully blending into each other, but nothing compared to the stars which were yet to come, in Josh’s opinion. TJ kept looking up, silently admiring the beautiful changes of colours, but as soon as the sun had set, Josh had forbidden for TJ to look at the sky. “It’s gonna ruin the sudden Wow-effect,” he had elaborated.  
They got ready for bed and kept the fire low until it was only warm embers, stored all their food away and tidied up the place. Josh was satisfied with their work and looked up. About half an hour to go and then it would be completely dark.  
“It sure is a little cold,” TJ said, putting on a sweater.  
“I know, after dusk it gets chilly pretty fast,” Josh said, almost apologetically. He tidied the canopy-like tent and set up their narrow sleeping space. “Come to bed, then it will be a little warmer. But don’t look up yet.” He lay down under the blanket and held it up for TJ to join him. He had to admit he was a little nervous about the sleeping situation, but he was sure his Skeleton Boy didn’t have anything against it, since he’d say something if he did. Together they nestled against each other, sharing some of their warmth.  
When they were comfortable they looked at each other, TJ answered Josh’s grin with a smile.  
“I’m really glad I met you, you know,” Josh said.  
“I’m sure life is easier now for you, I’m glad I could help,” TJ answered matter of factly.  
Josh had to chuckle at that. Even now in the dim light of the stars he could see his friend’s handsome face clearly. “I think we both benefited from me almost shooting you in the forest back then,” Josh laughed lowly.  
“Yeah, I guess so.”  
“Are you still cold?”  
TJ shook his head. “Not anymore.”  
“Good,” Josh said, peeking at the sky. “Close your eyes and lie on your back.”  
TJ did as he was told and closed his eyes, facing the stars.  
Josh propped his head on his arm, resting it on his elbow to get a proper look at Ty. “Now open your eyes.”  
Doing as told, TJ looked up to an explosion of sparks and sprinkles in the sky, as well as a white-ish pale nebula making its way through the picture. The sight make his mouth open a little. He was so caught off guard, that he didn’t notice the tears collecting at the corners of his eyes.  
“Hey,” Josh said, brushing them away with his thumb. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”  
Speechless TJ turned his head to Josh, nodding. “They are.”  
Josh still had his hand on TJ’s face, which was dangerously close to his own. He noticed a tiny little more colour to his friend’s skin, which he kept stroking with his thumb.  
TJ cracked a tiny smile, and Josh’s gaze immediately switched to the upturned corners. Without a second thought he kissed one of them, then moving to the lips, pressing his own on them. It set fireworks off in both of them, memories flooding their brains, but they were too preoccupied to notice which memories belonged to whom, they only focused on the feeling and the other person. Suddenly TJ broke the kiss, gasping one word: “Tyler!”  
It took Josh some time to gather a coherent thought. “Who?” was all he could manage.  
“Me! I’m Tyler!” TJ exclaimed, tears already forming again. He let out a small, happy sob. “My name is Tyler.”  
Josh’s face turned into a grin, and he engulfed his friend in a hug. “Tyler,” he said, testing the name on his tongue. It definitely felt good.  
They broke apart and smiled at each other.  
“You’re almost back again, did you know,” Josh said, touching his friend Tyler’s skin again. God, he couldn’t stop it, could he. Tyler’s face was now so solid that the outlines of the skull looked like they were merely airbrushed on his face.  
“It feels good to be back,” he said, resting his forehead against Josh’s.

**Author's Note:**

> Good morning mfers, this is my second TOP one shot which i'm using to avoid my vld fanfic, someone come over and shoot me  
> leave a kudo if you liked it, and tell me in the comments if an epilogue is wanted. Maybe something trees or forest inspired. check out my other shit, thanks for reading!  
> Edit: i just remembered, i think there was someone who posted a skeleton fic as well, i didnt even read it but pls dont be mad  
> Edit edit: YES one of the first memory flashes josh had was the taste of taco bell


End file.
